Ijō
| homecountry = File:70px-Land of Fire Symbol.svg.png | affiliation = | previous affiliation = | occupation = Courier Ninja | previous occupation = | team = | previous team = Undisclosed, (Disbanded) | partner = Solo | previous partner = | family = Undisclosed | rank = | classification = | reg = 009899 | academy = 10 | chunin = 11 | jonin = 19 | kekkei = | tota = | beast = | hiden = | nature = | jutsu = Sensory Disarrangement Chakra Shift Memory Alter Mōsei Jinkaku | weapons = Scroll Scarf }} Ijō (異常, literal translation, Abnormality) is a Courier Ninja, and an ex Jōnin hailing from . Fleeing from the fear of losing his allies and the death of his friend, Ijō intentionally botched a series of missions in order to demote himself a position of relative safety and to further himself from the stress of missions. Coining himself a term from his own village, Mockery of the Grass (草の嘲笑, Kusa no Chōshō) for his failures as a Shinobi, and for his cowardice. With so much of his potential lost, Ijō became a symbol of dishonor and shame for the youth and his peers. While still no longer worth keeping as a regular Shinobi, his actions allowed him to continue aiding his village in a way he saw fitting. Going to and fro from nation to nation, village to village, discreet meeting locales, and hiding holes for many of the Shinobi, Ijō took out his orders with an unparalleled speed and in absolute secrecy. A superb agent that went uncaught, Ijō found himself in a growing number of situations that would place him in imminent danger in the future. One of these threats would lay Kusagakure on the edge of war, his friends, family, loved ones, all in the potential chaos that would ensue. To absolve his fears of the dire threats ahead, Ijō began to make slight alterations to the letters sent, hidden and encrypted, silent cries for help in a world with war and danger on the rise. Placing himself on the forefront, Ijō vowed that no one would endanger his comrades ever again, so that no one would make the mistakes that he did and bring harm. Even if it were to mean eliminating all other Courier Ninja and rerouting the information he needed, to orchestrate the line of time ahead, and turn it to save his village, the Hidden Grass. Appearance Ijō is a casual looking young man. Clothing Personality History Past Growing up to a relatively poor family in the Hidden Grass, Ijō was growing up in a time where the world was in chaos, mobilizing into a full fledged war against the actions of and . The world was in a place that would place it at the tipping point of destruction or salvation. Sheltered and kept safe in the Land of Fire, far from the conflicts to the east. Ijō grew up joining the ranks of a future generation dedicated to a stable world, even though the former alliance fell apart, Kusa had made plans to ensure their survival, and he would be apart of the many genin to take part in the newly mobilized military. Given to a an all male squad, consisting of Ijō himself, along with Saiko, Harabo, and Ginti, their team was designated to be apart of a team that was to assassinate any and all threats to the peace that had been forming thanks in part to the actions of the alliance. This particular squad, designated as Squad Oni-Kanabo, AKA: Squad 44 would be the youngest of the Kusagakure generation of Genin, since their specialization would require them to be the most rigid and unwavering of their peers. Ijō however, was unlike his peers in many regards, in that he refused to specialize in the art of most of the bladed weapons, also refusing the art of the bow. While he did not refuse the knowledge thereof, he was never seen or noted to have once utilized them in a fashion that would threaten a life, his allies, or his brethren. The young Kusagakure Genin chose the path of Genjutsu, and the branches that spread from it, manipulating and diverting chakra in ways that would manipulate and control others, to stop conflicts before they could begin. A coward on the actual battlefield in most regards, Ijō was a young boy that did what he did in order to protect those he loved, his squad, his mentor, his family at home, and the entire village. It had become his Nindō, to make sure his loved ones remained unharmed. Because of this, many of the Shinobi peers watched him with diligence in hopes that his ways might change over time and he would be more willing to take on his role in the missions. Achieving the rank of Chunnin in the first Chunnin Exams post fourth war, Ijō achieved his rank in relative ease in only a year after he had earned the title of Genin. This was something worth noting in Kusagakure, and earned him and his Squad, who he would still be apart of. His cowardice had been forgotten, and Ijō became better for it. While the casual life of Ijō was nothing worthy of note, he was immensely close with his friends, going out and eating with them, taking days to spend just with loved ones, his past time was others happiness and making them happy. A selfless Shinobi. While many saw the good heart, he only hoped to be like the alliance Shinobi of the past, to give up everything in return for the safety and well being of everyone else. It was that thought that pushed him, shaped him. It was the everyday life that kept him going, not the missions - they merely secured his hopes of a brighter tomorrow. Throughout his career as a Chunin, Ijō he became increasingly skilled with his abilities, slaying those that stood in the way of peace become more and more easy for him as the days went by. Targets of assassinations were executed perfectly, and the Kusagakure youth was becoming a true Ninja, a true man on the battlefield. While his personality did not seem to change outside of this, he was now among the revered in Kusagakure. Life was good. It was however one day, that Ijō would be called for a meeting from his superiors, the ANBU captain and his own mentor. The meeting was private, and they spoke with him earnestly, his squad mates were found out leaking information to outside villages, the likes of Konohagakure and Sunagakure were being filled in with details of their military and of potential targets of interest. This information was sold at high price, Saiko, Ginti, and Harabo were now traitors to the state of Kusagakure's safety and well being. Ijō was incapable of taking this lightly, his heart throbbed in pain and he ached over the thought of losing his friends so dear to him. The fact that they had endangered everything just for selfish gain? Had they truly fallen so hard? The strings of his heart broke. While on the inside he was torn, on the outside, all he could do was muster the best mask possible, acknowledging their betrayal. The final string to be drawn, was when he was ordered to kill them off in secrecy, to let no one know. While he was sent off, and his mind clouded, he could only do what he had done before... to assassinate, to kill without regard to his own emotions or heart. To take the lives of those that threaten his loved ones, his family, his home. The following day, Ijō planned a training day with his fellow squad mates, taking them to a scarce part of the forest. The forest had always been a usual place for them to train, and Ijō always wanted an excuse to get out with his 'brothers'. Drawing his sword, they came into contact, dealing mock blows. All the while, his heart screaming as it tore itself in half, the clang of blades ringing loud in his ears, slowly growing deaf to the world. During the series of mock blows, Ijō silenced his own heart, listening only to the instinct that drove him forward. An instinct so primal that not even one's own Nindō could touch it. To silence his heart, he would need to cut it out. He drew his blade once more, and instead of their blades meeting, Ijō swung in quick decisive slashes, killing all three of his closest friends in a matter of seconds. Their blood pooled off the edge of his blade, the fallen bodies laying all around him. It had been done, the safety of his loved ones. Eyes falling to his own blade, he felt an abnormality in his own spirit, the lack of emotion. Had it really been that easy? Then he saw it... tear drops mingling with his bloodletted katana. Agony washed over him, his knees shook and he fell, crying anger silent tears until he could hold it in no longer. Howling out to the skies, he held his blade to his chest, clutching his heart. The loss of his loved ones was all too real. Later that day, he would return to his home, met by his mentor and the ANBU captain, telling him that in the morrow he would be promoted to the position of Jōnin for his success, no longer a Tokūbetsu, and that they would make sure that the deaths of his allies would not be remembered for their crimes. The words fell on deaf ears, as he soon returned home. All he wanted to do was be capable of forgetting what he had just done, to somehow justify it. Why him? Because he was trusted? Was it all some game in order to select who was the most adequate for the position of Jōnin? In the safety of his own home, he felt assailed by a thousand angry voices, lashing out at him, his own voice echoed inside his head, causing his heart to feel as heavy as the world he was living in. He was incapable of coping with it, the more he pushed it away the more heavily his own guilt attacked him. "You didn't have to, you had a choice, you made a decision, you'll never forget them. You killed those you loved, how can you forgive yourself? You're the monster. Die. Die. Kill. Die. You can never stop now!" Ijō knew what he had to do, he would be unable to move on naturally. Writing down a small letter, he placed it on the table beside his bed. It read out, "I can not live, remembering these things I have done. When you see me in the morning, I will not be as who I was. I am crafting myself a new identity, let me live as a coward. Let me live alone. Let me be alone." his only hope of moving on, to live, to not be a monster, to keep others safe without hurting them with his own death, was to use a Genjutsu he had been honing for years. A genjutsu that could alter the memories of those it was cast upon, so much that in time, it would integrate these memories as a reality, and remove real memories. An ability so strong it could change entire lives, alter personalities, or undo memories. An ability that would allow him to eliminate any and all foes that would have one day been placed higher on the listing of targets. But now it would be used on himself, to save himself. I will become a coward, I botched up so many missions, I led my team to failure, I will forget my friends faces over time, I was unable to protect them when it mattered most. This is who I will become... his own mentor would come to his home in the morning, and a story would later be fabricated concerning the deaths of his comrade, interwoven with the delusion of memories that Ijō had placed himself under. While his mentor understood his fall, the village would know him as a failure and a mockery for the rest of his life. Present In the present date, Ijō is working as a Courier Ninja, putting his life on the line in order to keep his village safe. The memories he had created were set in stone by now, and he was who he had wanted to become. A shadow of his former self, he blames himself for the loss of his friends who died in a 'tragic' accident that could have been avoided had he played a part. Embracing his new role as a courier, he treks forward. Equipment In total, Ijō's gear is in common with that of the average Shinobi. Kunai, Shuriken, metal wire, generic sealing scrolls, basic rope, as well as some other generic antidotes and poisons to better aid his own weaponry though it is uncommon for him to utilize these unless the situation absolutely requires the person attacking him to be dealt with fatally. Well not used often, Ijō is well versed in the art of crafting these poisons and antidotes on his own, and is more then able of arming himself and dealing with enemies in close quarters combat. In close quarters, Ijō displays a finesse that allows him to contend with most enemies at Jōnin level in Taijutsu, only being incapable of dealing with those that choose to channel their abilities into their martial arts styles. Focusing on his enemies weak points, Ijō chooses to aim for the points where the body hinges and where the exterior organs lay, such as the eyes and ears. Taking continual swipes and feint attacks, Ijō dances around his enemies to get closer and closer to their vital points and preventing them from fully extending or utilizing their body. With a flurry of elbow strikes and blows, knees knocking at theirs or attempting to set them off balance, the bukijutsu of Ijō is synonymous with close quarters, as he attempts to keep his weapon as near to them as possible, short concise slices and stab wounds marking their body well before the grapple is over. With the aid of his specialized poisons, which come in a few variants, Ijō is never worried about dealing with various types of opponents and their methods and always has a different type of poison on hand in case a situation calls for it. *'Baneberry Poison': *'Mercury Poison': Weaponry Scroll Scarf Jutsu Genjutsu Ninjutsu Sensory Disarrangement Chakra Shift Memory Alter Mōsei Jinkaku Chakra Transformations and Alterations Relationships Kusagakure Quotes Trivia Titles Achievements Renown Category:Shinobi Category:Jonin Category:Courier Ninja Category:Male Category:Characters who's blood type is B Category:Characters